Benita Pearson
| Benita Pearson | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio | |
| Title: | Judge |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | Barack Obama |
| Active: | 12/27/2010 - Present |
| Preceded by: | Peter Economus |
| Past post: | Magistrate Judge |
| Past term: | 2008 - 2010 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1963 |
| Home State: | Cleveland, OH |
| Bachelors: | Georgetown U., B.S., 1985 |
| Law School: | Cleveland State U., Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 1995 |
Contents |
Benita Y. Pearson is a U.S. district judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She was sworn in by Senator Sherrod Brown in March 2011. After being sworn in Pearson became the first black female federal jurist in Ohio.[1]
Early life and education
Pearson received her B.S. in 1985 and her J.D. in 1995[2] from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. [3]
Professional career
Pearson clerked for Judge John Manos of the Northern District of Ohio from 1996 to 1998. From 1998 to 2000, she was as associate with the law firm Jones Day Reavis & Pogue, and in 2000 she became an Assistant United States Attorney based in Cleveland. She worked as a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court from 2008 until 2010.[4]
Judicial career
Northern District of Ohio
President Obama nominated Pearson to fill an Article III federal vacancy on the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She was recommended to Obama by Senators Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich. Senator Brown said of the nomination: "I applaud President Obama for choosing Judge Pearson. Throughout her career as a prosecutor, private practice attorney, certified public accountant, and magistrate, Judge Pearson served with honor and distinction. I wish her continued success as a federal district judge." [5]
The opening on the court is due to the assumption of senior status by Peter Economus. [3]
Pearson's nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 21, 2010. She is the first black woman to receive a seat in any of the Ohio Federal Districts.[6][7]
Pearson received a rating from the substantial majority of "Well Qualified" and a minority rating of "Qualified" from the American Bar Association. [8]
Judiciary Committee hearing
Pearson had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 20, 2010. [9] Pearson was reported by committee on February 11, 2010. [8]
Congressional oath of office
On January 3, 2013, Pearson administered a ceremonial oath of office to the Congressional Black Caucus at the beginning of the new term. [10]
See also
External links
- Listing on the Northern District of Ohio website
- Judge Pearson's Biography from Federal Judicial Center
References
- ↑ Vindy.com "Pearson sworn in as judge" March 26, 2011
- ↑ Judge Pearson's Biography from Federal Judicial Center.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 White House Press Release "President Obama Nominates Nancy Freudenthal, Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. and Judge Benita Pearson to Serve on the District Court Bench", December 4, 2009
- ↑ Biography at the Federal Judicial Center
- ↑ Vindy.com "President accepts Pearson nomination to Youngstown federal court", December 4, 2009
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "Cleveland woman confirmed by U.S. Senate to federal bench in Youngstown," December 22, 2010
- ↑ Cleveland Plain Dealer "Federal magistrate judge Benita Pearson recommended for U.S. District Court seat" July 22, 2009
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Judicial Nomination Materials
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee hearing notice
- ↑ United States Courts, Press Release: "Federal Judges Help Swear In Members of Congress," March 1, 2013
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Peter Economus |
Northern District of Ohio 2010–Current |
Succeeded by: NA |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Solomon Oliver • John R. Adams • Christopher Boyko • James Gwin • Sara Lioi • Donald Nugent • Dan Polster • Jack Zouhary • Patricia Gaughan • Benita Pearson • Jeffrey J. Helmick | ||
| Senior judges |
James Carr • David Dowd • David Katz • Lesley Wells • Peter Economus • John Potter • George White • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Vernelis Armstrong • William Baughman • George Limbert • Kenneth McHargh • David Perelman • Nancy Vecchiarelli • Greg White • James Knepp • Kathleen B. Burke • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Ann Aldrich • Sam Bell • Kathleen M. O'Malley • Alice Batchelder • Robert Krupansky • Leroy Contie • Hiram V. Willson • Charles Taylor Sherman • Martin Welker • Augustus Ricks • Francis Joseph Wing • Robert Walker Tayler • William Louis Day • John Milton Killits • John Hessin Clarke • David Westenhaver • Paul Jones • George Philip Hahn • Frank Kloeb • Frank Battisti • James Connell • Emerich Freed • Ben Green • Girard Kalbfleisch • Alvin Krenzler • Thomas Lambros • John Manos • Paul Matia • Charles McNamee • Richard McQuade • William K. Thomas • Nicholas Walinski • Samuel West • Robert Wilkin • Don Young • Paul Weick • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
James Carr • Paul Jones • Frank Kloeb • George White • Frank Battisti • James Connell • Girard Kalbfleisch • Thomas Lambros • Paul Matia • Charles McNamee • | ||
